Huntsville jail death not thought to be suspicious

HUNTSVILLE - Houston activists do not believe the in-custody death of a woman this month in Walker County was caused by any wrongdoing of jail officials and do not think the incident can be compared to last year's Sandra Bland case.

Symone Nicole Marshall, 22, died May 10 while she was an inmate at the Walker County jail in Huntsville. She had been there for two weeks following an April 26 arrest in the aftermath of a car accident where authorities said they found drugs.

Questions had been raised this week in national news reports and on social media about the circumstances of Marshall's death. An online fundraiser to cover funeral expenses for the single mother of a young daughter has exceeded its goal.

Local and regional media outlets had been criticized for not covering the in-custody death in Huntsville, which is about 70 miles north of Houston, at a time when jail deaths are receiving tougher scrutiny and reporting in recent months.

In an interview on Thursday, Capt. Steve Fisher - the Walker County jail administrator - said that Marshall died at a Huntsville hospital. Walker County Sheriff's Office officials were in touch with her family and the Texas Department of Public Safety when it became clear she would require hospital care, he said.

Texas Ranger Steve Jeter is leading a state investigation into the woman's death.

Marshall's autopsy was performed in Houston by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences last week. A final report is pending, but preliminary information indicates that her place of death was a hospital at 5:25 p.m. May 10.

Quanell X and other Houston activists met Friday morning at the jail with Fisher, Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae and Jeter for a conversation described as "transparent" during a news conference around 11 a.m. outside the jail.

"I don't believe that (the) Walker County sheriff or his department did anything to cause the death of this young woman," Quanell said. "I don't believe she was physically abused. I don't believe she was mistreated. … This is a tragedy. This is a tragic case. There are other real deep circumstances surrounding the young woman that I don't want to go into here, but I would ask that we all pray for her family - we all pray for this young woman - and hopefully at some point we can use this young girl's life as a learning experience for many other young women who can perhaps be found in the same predicament."

Marshall was the driver involved in a rollover crash on Interstate 45 south of Huntsville on April 26. She and a passenger, 26-year-old Amanda Arnold, were treated by paramedics in an ambulance but refused transport to a hospital that day, according to Walker County and DPS officials.

Both women were booked into the Walker County jail on felony cocaine possession charges.

Marshall was unable to post $5,000 bail on three charges, including a misdemeanor accusation of providing a false identity to law enforcement.